Flea-trap.



No. 765,420. PATENTBD JULY 19, 1904,.

I P. 0. nsmomn.

PLEA TRAP.-

urmoumu nun) FEB. 1, 1904.

' no MODEL.

Patented July 19, 1904.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

FRANCOIS CLEMENT ESMONIN, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLEA-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,420, dated July 19,1904.

Application filed February 1, 1904. Serial Nol91,610- (No model.)

To an whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FRANooIs CLEMENT Es- MONIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Flea-Traps,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in insect-traps in which alight is used to attract them and a sticky substance employed to trapthem when they alight in the vicinity of the light.

It consists in its easily-connected and reversible parts, whereby theapparatus is conveniently handled and may be carried or placed beneatharticles of furniture Without danger from fire. I attain these objectsby the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of the complete apparatus as it maybecarried about. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, a section beingremoved to show the lamp beneath the inclined plates. Fig. 3 is across-section through an inclined plate on line A. Fig. 4 is a removableflame-screen; Fig. 5, a plan view of the same.

In all the figures like numerals relate to like parts.

1 is a tray, preferably made of tin, having a supporting-handle 2adapted to hold a lamp 3 in position within the tray and retain any oilleakage or overflow.

4 and 5 are companion inclined plates, made, preferably, of tin, havingupturned edges 6, soldered at corners, forming tight gutters around theedge of said plates. Plate 4 is provided with a series of upturned hooks7 on both of its longitudinal edges. Plate 5 is provided with a seriesof loops 8 on both of its corresponding edges, in which the hooks areeasily slipped and retained. Both hooks and loops are preferably made ofwire soldered to the plates. Each plate is provided with a centralcorresponding half-orifice 9, through which the wick-tube 10 of the lampprotrudes. The plates are further provided with a lattice of wire 11,soldered to them within the gutters. When in use, this wire lattice isspread over with a sticky substance the opposite direction.

formed of a mixture of rosin and Castor-oil melted together or othersuitable preparation for entangling the legs or Wings of insects thatmay alight thereon and walk toward the light, by which they areattracted. The object of the wire lattice is to prevent the stickymaterial when softened by the heat of the lamp or warm weather fromrunning down the plates. The object of the gutters is to retain suchpart of the substance as may flow down, and the object of the hooks andloops on both edges of the plates is that the plates may be reversed andrehooked at any time and the retained substance made to flow in Stickyfly-paper may be cut to fit Within the gutters and laid upon the platesto produce the same entangling effect.

A removable screen is arranged over the flame, formed of a tube 12,which is dropped over the wick-tube, having side wires 13, which supporta screen-plate 1 1, which also acts as a reflector.

When in use, the inclined plates are arranged about the wick-tube of thelamp and being locked together by their hooks and loops are supported bythe body of the lamp and handled tray. The apparatus may be placed onthe floor of a sleeping-apartment beneath a bed or other article offurniture.

The wick of the lamp is lighted and turned up about one-quarter of aninch. The light being reflected upon the inclined plates attracts theinsects, which jump or alight upon it, and imprisons them until dead.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. In a flea-trap the combination of a handled tray, a lamp supported bysaid tray, inclined plates supported by said lamp, and a screen coveringthe flame of said lamp, and reflecting its light upon' the platessubstantially as described and shown.

2. In a flea-trap the combination with a sup,

ported lamp, of inclined plates having a central half-orifice in eachthrough which the wick-tube of said lamp protrudes, and means forsecuring them about said tube, substantially as described and shown.

Tip

IOC

3. In a flea-trap combining a lamp and inclined plates arranged aboutthe wick-tube of said lamp, the combination of upturned edges aroundsaid plates, closed at the corners,

5 forming gutters, and a wire lattice secured to the floor of saidplates, substantially as described and shown. 4. In a flea-trapcombining a tray, a lamp, inclined plates supported by said lamparranged with guttered edges, the combination with said gutters of hooksarranged upon two opposite sides of one of the plates, and correspondingloops arranged upon two opposite sides of the companion plate, whereby 5they are secured about the wick-tube of the lamp, and made reversible bythe duplicate hooks and loops substantially as described and shown.

5. In a flea-trap combining a tray, a lamp, and inclined platessupported by the wick-tube of the lamp protruding through them, thecombination with said wick-tube of a removable'flame-screen arrangedabove said plates reflecting the light upon them substantially asdescribed and shown.

FRANCOIS CLEMENT ESMONIN.

lVitnesses:

"VILFRED BELLIVEAU, ADOLPHE BLAIR.

